Snow makes West Dundee parade 'perfect'

A winter parade usually helps folks get into the holiday mood, but throw in a few inches of snow and you've really got a winner.

Such was the case for the Spirit of Christmas Parade in West Dundee Saturday morning, where the white stuff falling from the sky added to the excitement.

“It's a great time. Obviously, the snow made it that much better,” said West Dundee resident Mark Corridon, now in his third year of taking his kids Joe, 4, and Kaitlyn, 3, to the event.

“It's perfect for the kids. It's not too long, you get to see Santa and you're not in the cold too long,” he added. “The setting is perfect downtown.”

The festivities didn't stop with the parade.

At nearby Grafelman Park, people voted on the best of 22 Christmas trees at the Dickens Festival of Trees and hung out with llamas, goats and ponies at a petting zoo.

Eric Rice of South Barrington saw the event on his way to pick up his granddaughter, Olivia Gouge, 5, from Elgin.

So the pair stopped on the way back, although Olivia's favorite animal, the giraffe wasn't there.

“We've always been spontaneous,” Rice said. “Anytime (West Dundee) has a special event, we always stop by. It's a great opportunity for kids to just be kids and you don't get that much any more.”